Curiosity for Learning
We have a set of learning behaviours that students are encouraged to display. These are incorporated into our school values of Belong, Believe, Become.
Students that regularly display these behaviours will make excellent progress at school and be equipped with the right mindset to lead a successful life outside of school. Students who display these learning behaviours are rewarded with BBB points (see Rewards and Praise page).
Curiosity
A key learning behaviour at Harris Academy Rainham is showing curiosity. We believe it is important that students develop a love of learning and are active in their lessons through asking and answering questions and students are regularly rewarded BBB points for doing so.
Students demonstrate that they are curious about their learning by showing SLANT throughout their lessons.
- Sit Up
- Listening Actively
- Ask/Answer Questions
- Note-taking
- Track the Speaker
Students who listen actively throughout lessons, and participate through note-taking and asking and answering questions, will not only find that they enjoy their learning a lot more but will also find they make a lot more progress and retain a lot more key information.
How curious are you?
We want our students to be curious outside of lessons too, and have launched a competition called How curious are you?
Every Monday a curious question is released via social media and students have all week to think about the question and submit a response to the ‘curious box’ in the library. On Friday, student leaders read these responses and select the winning entries.
Participating in this competition encourages students to display our learning behaviours such as being curious about learning, thinking hard and showing scholarly behaviours outside of lessons. That's why all entries receive 5 BBB points (see Rewards and Praise page).
Examples of ‘curious questions’ include:
- If William had not won the Battle of Hastings in 1066, how different would England be today?
- If you were going to invent a language for the whole world to speak, where would you start?
- What is a black hole?
- Is a selfie art?
- If God exists, why is there so much evil in the world?
Full details of our expectations for behaviour, both inside and outside of the academy, and of our approach to rewards, sanctions, support and intervention, can be found in our behaviour policy downloadable from our Student Welfare page.